WASHINGTON – Sophomore pitcher Montana Murphy (Simi Valley, Calif.) pitched her first collegiate no-hitter Saturday as Gallaudet University defeated visiting Valley Forge Christian College in a softball doubleheader. The Bison won 9-0 and 8-0 in two five-inning games at the GU Softball Complex.

Murphy (5-2) struck out two batters and allowed two runners to reach base, one on a walk and the second on an infield error by the Bison in the fifth inning. GU (10-6) ended the game in the bottom of the fifth inning when the Bison pushed across one run to increase their lead from 7-0 to 8-0.

The shutout is Murphy's second of the season as she recorded her sixth complete game. Murphy tossed a no-hitter last season in an exhibition game against Trinity (D.C.) University but those statistics did not count for her career.

Gallaudet had seven different batters record a hit as senior Kara Gulvas (Crown Point, Ind.) and freshman Natalie Lizarraga (Dixon, Calif.) both recorded two RBIs and a double. The Bison scored at least one run in every inning but the second and started the game up 4-0 after the first inning.

In the first game, junior Rachel Sweigart (Big Rock, Ill.) improved her record to 5-2 with a complete game victory over the Patriots (0-6). Sweigart allowed two hits, walked one and struck four in five innings of work. The Bison scored nine runs on six hits. Freshman Zamica Gage (Austin, Texas) had an inside the park home run in the third inning to highlight a five-run frame. Freshman Kelsey Hudson (Blissfield, Mich.) led off the second inning with a triple and later scored the first of her two runs. Sophomore Victoria Rainey (Danvers, Ill.) had GU's other extra base hit, a RBI-double, in the first inning.

The Bison are now 10-0 at home this season and have played 12 consecutive games that ended in five innings.

Gallaudet will make the short trip across town to play Catholic University of America tomorrow (Sunday, March 24) for a non-conference doubleheader with the first game slated to start at 1 p.m. This doubleheader was originally scheduled for Monday, March 25, but was moved up one day to avoid bad weather.